Do try new things though, because you can't be certain what kind of fitness person you are until you've tried a few things. I, for instance, don't like Zumba. I've tried it, it wasn't my cup of tea, so I've moved on. I can still find a ba-zillion other ways to work out beyond Zumba. But if I was thinking, "gee, it's Zumba or nothing", then I would likely be doing nothing! If I was forcing myself to do Zumba, I would hate it & get bored. Both hate and boredom are classic reasons to quit working out!

Talking food and nutrition; if you really hate eating steamed veggies, but are forcing yourself to because you want to eat healthier, well, just stop! Eating raw veggies is great for you too, and if it means you still love vegetables, well then that's awesome!

You probably wouldn't enjoy being a vegetarian if you are a die hard meat lover, and if you hate meat, don't go on a low carb/high protein diet!

You know (as an adult) you should try new foods, and of course I would agree with that. But don't force yourself to eat things that make you feel sick to your stomach from repulsion just because they are good for you! A personal example is how much I despise lychee fruit! Seriously, I popped one in my mouth once because I had heard a lot of good things about this berry, and immediately spat it out because it felt the way I might imagine an eyeball would feel in my mouth!!! Bleh, it still makes my skin crawl thinking about it now! And pomegranate, although I know how good it is for you, has never been a favourite of mine because I can't stand the crunch of the seeds, and choosing to just try to eat the fruit off the seeds seems pointless and frustrating, and I don't even enjoy the taste enough to want to bother!!! Wow, what a run-on sentence! : )

The point though? I tried!

Add variety to your workouts and foods, but don't go forcing something that you deep down hate!

Now, here's what matters most.......I think most of you know this stuff I've been saying, right? Maybe some information I've given has been new, but a lot of it hasn't been, I'm sure.

So, what's wrong? What's happening where we know so much, but are succeeding so little?

It's you.

No, not "it's you" as in it's your fault, but "it's you" as in, it's the stuff we can't write about. That thing that you can't buy a book or DVD about....it's that thing you can't quite pin down to help you reach whatever goal you have.

In an article I really appreciated reading from Rebooted Body, they said:

"The reason people can have the right information and still fail — or the right information and never start — is because of that intangible component. If our job as mentors, coaches, program-designers, gym owners, fitness instructors, yoginis, and nutritionists was to program robots to live, eat, sleep, and exercise according to a blueprint we’d all have a 100% success rate. Robots aren’t human. They don’t have an inner child. In other words, they don’t have meaningful history and the fear, insecurity, self-doubt, self-sabotage, anger, sadness, and shame that are attached to that history. Humans have all of those emotions and those emotions act as roadblocks to success whether you’re operating with the right information on not

Food is the easiest drug to access. On top of that, processed foods are designed to be addictive. We know that hard drugs and alcohol are a coping mechanism. We need to understand that food is not just a similar coping mechanism, it’s the most popular and most easily accessible one. The health and fitness industry is dead because health (nutrition and lifestyle education) and fitness are no longer adequate for addressing the issues of body image, disordered eating, addiction, and all of our metabolic concerns. It’s all about the psychology and mindset of the individual.

People who are trapped in the cycle of addiction and dependency — which is far more pervasive than anyone realizes — can’t simply be informed to change".

Well said, yes?

It is my hope here, on this Bushel & A Peck Health & Fitness blog that I can inform you, but most importantly, challenge you to think, and think hard, about why you're doing what you're doing.

All the information in the world can't confront and defeat the enemies of addiction, dependency, low self-worth, unhealthy body image, low confidence, depression, anxiety, and learned helplessness. It can’t correct the consequences of physical, mental, and emotional abuse, which in varying degrees is far more pervasive than anyone wants to admit.

You are a person who is here because you are interested in health & fitness in one way or another. But expand your definition of "health & fitness" to mean all of you. Your mind, body and soul.

Be real with yourself. Be real for yourself. Keep It Real: Real YOU!

The reason we think "I must do Zumba and I must eat steamed veggies!" is because we're unsure about what to do (not in the information sense--we're bogged down with information!!--, but in the sense that we still feel lost), and society/industry wants to keep it that way. It keeps us from seeing who we are, seeing where we hurt, and that keeps us buying more videos and diet plans we don't need.

Can I say one last thing? Don't be afraid of who you are and the hurts you've suffered. Don't be afraid to set those suitcases of issues down, open them up, and sort that stuff out.

Depending on who you are, these suitcases will be heavier or lighter, and filled with varying degrees of hurts.....

I am still sorting through my junk I've been carrying around....I know I need to because I still struggle with food and my relationship with it. But I want to be real with myself so that I can be real with others.

I hope that you can be encouraged and know that wherever you are in your journey of health & fitness (mind, body, soul), you are not alone.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, ‘Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing.’

Friends, here is your chance. Being real and sorting through all you carry around can be scary because it requires hard work, soul searching, and commitment.....but it'll be worth it. It will be worth it.